In a conventional phase array antenna, each element, i.e. the antenna, of the array has a particular weight. Consequently, only one beam may be formed from such antenna array with one input signal. If multiple signals are provided, a plurality of beams may actually be formed. The signals provided can be in the form of local oscillator waveforms; and the weight provided can be complex, such that a local mixer, in effect, results.
If additional signals, such as for example more than one local oscillator signal, are required, the antenna array can become extremely complex, as in the form of a Butler matrix. Such Butler matrix is well known and is shown, for example, on page 69 of the Section entitled Radar, Navigation, And Underwater Sound Systems in the "Electrons Engineers' Handbook" edited by Fink, published by the McGraw Hill Co., (1975). If anything more than four beams are to be used, a Butler matrix becomes extremely complicated, heavy and unwieldy.
Consequently, there is a need to provide a beam forming matrix network which is capable of controlling a multiple number of beams, and yet at the same time is simple to construct. Moreover, such antenna matrix must have a space requirement which is substantially less than that of a Butler matrix and weigh substantially less than conventional array matrixes.